IllustrationTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE BALL JOINTS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,000.
1999 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
525–50K
950–75K
1975–100K
49100–150K
41150K+
127 reports with mileage · 122 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
40 crash reports1 fire reports21 injury reports
What owners actually said
249 reportsCOMPLETE RUST THROUGH OUT MY 1999 TACOMA 4X4 PICK UP TRUCK FRAME. *TR
1999 TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND CRACKED FROM FRONT TO REAR. VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND MAY BREAK IN HALF. *AK
LARGE RUST HOLES IN RIGHT FRAME RAIL IN FRONT OF LEAF SPRING. *AK
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED A WHOLE IN THE FRONT OF THE REAR LEAF SPRING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE ENGINE SIZE AND CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.
JUST BOUGHT A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA PRE RUNNER AND THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT. I HAVE LOOKED AT VARIOUS JUNK YARDS AND ALL DO NOT RETRACT. I SPOKE WITH ANOTHER GUY WHO HAS THE SAME YEAR AND TYPE TRUCK AS I DO AND HE SAID HIS WILL NOT RETRACT EITHER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS ATTENTION…
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JUST BOUGHT A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA PRE RUNNER AND THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT. I HAVE LOOKED AT VARIOUS JUNK YARDS AND ALL DO NOT RETRACT. I SPOKE WITH ANOTHER GUY WHO HAS THE SAME YEAR AND TYPE TRUCK AS I DO AND HE SAID HIS WILL NOT RETRACT EITHER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS ATTENTION. I HAVE CALLED TOYOTA PARTS DEPT AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE $126.99 FOR A NEW ASSEMBLY, THAT SEEMS KIND OF EXPENSIVE FOR SUCH A SMALL PART. I WAS THINKING IT WAS MADE TO DEFECT SO THEY COULD MAKE MORE MONEY. ALSO SINCE SEATBELTS ARE MANDATORY SHOULDN'T IT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY TO MAKE THEM HOLD UP BETTER? *TR
1999 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS SEVERE FRAME RUST/ROT TO BOTH MAIN FRAME RAILS, ESP. JUST IN FRONT OF LEAF SPRINGS. NO RUST PROBLEM WAS DETECTED UNTIL NY STATE INSPECTION OF EARLY APRIL, 2007. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS VIRTUALLY FREE FROM RUST. IN MY OPINION TRUCK IS NOW UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *AK
FRAME RAIL HAS BAD RUST PROBLEM, FRAME IS SO RUSTED THROUGH THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *JB
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH 172000 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 20 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT A CONCRETE POLE ON THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE'S BUMPER, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. *AK
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH 89600 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 45 MPH THE CAB BEGAN TO MAKE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE MOUNTING BRACKETS, HOOKING THE BODY TO THE FRAME SHEARED. THE COLLAPSED BODY WAS LAYING ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN…
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TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH 89600 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 45 MPH THE CAB BEGAN TO MAKE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE MOUNTING BRACKETS, HOOKING THE BODY TO THE FRAME SHEARED. THE COLLAPSED BODY WAS LAYING ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89650.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.